Can Mark Webber complete his rise from F1 everyman to world champion?

After a decade spent making his name in the sport Red Bull's Australian veteran is closing in on the Formula One title

Mark Webber is having the season of his life. The Red Bull driver scored his first win only last year, when he triumphed in the German grand prix, and his second victory, in Brazil, was overshadowed by being the race where Jenson Button finally wrapped up the world championship.

In 2010, though, the Australian has sprayed champagne from the top of the podium four times and leads the standings by 14 points with three races left. He was not expected to give his team-mate Sebastian Vettel a run for his money but the man who tweets under the name AussieGrit was underestimated not only by the young German in the other Red Bull but by a good chunk of the Formula One family too.

Not any more. He has driven beautifully. Monaco and Silverstone spring to mind. He has been an uncompromising racer, not giving Vettel or Lewis Hamilton an inch in Turkey and Singapore respectively. Most importantly, he has largely avoided the bouts of brain fade that can wreck a season – his on-track hooning in Melbourne when racing Hamilton being the only exception.

But there is a feeling that for Webber it is now or never, that a chance of a tilt at the title may never come again. He is certainly driving as if that is the case and that has been his strength.

Of his title rivals three (Button, Hamilton and Fernando Alonso) have been world champion. The other (Vettel) is touted as being a multi-title winner by the time he hangs up his flameproof. After a decade in Formula One Webber was considered a good pro, a team man, fast enough to do a proper job but not a champion in the making. That is why Webber is the sentimental favourite the length of the pit lane. Not only has he come up the hard way; he was not expected to do much when he got there.

Webber has also had a battle within his own team beyond racing the precocious Vettel. He was never a part of Red Bull's young driver programme, which is overseen by Dr Helmut Marko. The former Le Mans winner and F1 driver has been developing driver talent since his career behind the wheel was cut short by a stone piercing his visor during the 1972 French grand prix and blinding him in one eye. The Austrian is a strong influence in the Austrian-owned team and Vettel is his baby, his work in progress.

One well-connected paddock insider suggested that, should Webber win the title when they tot up the points in Abu Dhabi, he might climb out of his car, tell Marko where to stick it, walk away from F1 and go and race V8 Supercars back home in Australia.

It would be a shame if that were to happen because the sport needs more drivers like Webber: honest, open, funny and, most importantly, fast. He leads by 14 points after Japan and his team say they are giving each driver a fair hand but the gap is narrowing. Can Webber hold on? The last three races will be fascinating.

Source: Guardian.co.uk